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How To Clean Your Garbage Disposal

Posted on
9 December 2014

With a few pantry-friendly ingredients, you can create a customizable cleaning solution for your disposal. Below are two DIY garbage disposal cleaners that are effective, easy to store and even easier to use. Using them on a regular or as-needed basis will keep your garbage disposal from stinking up your kitchen.

Cleaning Cubes

This particular method is all-natural and can be made in bulk. All you need is

1 cup vinegar

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup water

Combine the ingredients and pour into an ice cube tray. Once frozen, they can be popped out of the ice molds and stored in your freezer in a Ziploc bag. The primary purpose of this cleaner is to deodorize and sanitize. Vinegar is an extremely effective disinfectant, which makes it perfect for cleaning. The acidic properties of lemon juice cut through soap scum and other grimy build up that can accumulate in a garbage disposal. Lemon juice also leaves behind a refreshing and invigorating scent.

If you start to notice your disposal getting smelly, pop in a few frozen cubes and run the disposal until they disintegrate. You'll be left with a bacteria-free, fresh smelling disposal in a matter of minutes.

Cleaning Scrub

If your disposal needs a more in-depth cleaning, you can create a cleaning scrub that will make your disposal look and smell like new. Using the same ingredients listed above, plus a few other easy-to-find ingredients like baking soda, coarse salt, and a toothbrush, you can have your disposal sparkling in no time. Behind the Studio blogger Jayna uses an easy to follow, step-by-step list of directions that will ensure that every inch of your disposal is free from bacteria and build up

First, she cleans her disposal with baking soda and vinegar. She rinses the vinegar and baking soda scrub down the disposal with boiling hot water. After the initial scrub has been rinsed down completely, she drops coarse salt and a lemon wedge into her disposal and turns it on. The coarse scrub works by breaking down stuck-on buildup in those hard to reach places, and the lemon leaves behind a refreshing scent. Lastly, with a toothbrush, she scrubs the flaps of the splash guard with a vinegar and baking soda paste. By following her detailed directions, every inch of your disposal will look as good as it did the day it was installed.

Don't let a smelly garbage disposal keep you out of your kitchen any longer. Deep clean it using Behind the Studio's cleaning tutorial and keep it that way by dropping in a few frozen cubes on a regular basis. You will cut down on the stench and bacteria that can easily grow out of control when left untreated.